Bulb shaping device



June 30, 1931. J. F. DONOVAN ET AL BULB SHAPING DEVICE Filed May 11,1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 JNSZZENTUR 5' ZEHNF'. DUAZDI/AN Fm Z-IZSZhLLDYTHE-.2123 .A'r Taazvzz' June 30, 1931. J. F. DONOVAN ET AL BULB SHAPINGDEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet Filed May 11, 1929 [MN TEFL s zbfizv-F UcmzUIAzxz' mzxzK LZZXLE LE 02* BY cow THEIR Afr roams-y- Patented June 36,1931 UNITED STATES, PATENT OFFICE JOHN F. DONOVAN, OF EAsTvcLEvEhAND,

OHIO, ASSIGNORS 'TO GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY A CORPORATION OF NEW YORKAND FRANK J. MALLOY, or cnnvnmnn,

. BULB snarme DEVICE Application filed May 11, 1929. Serial No. 362,420.

Our invention relates to machines for the manufacture of electricincandescent lamps and other electrical devices comprising sealedcontainers and more particularly to machines forshaping said sealedcontainers adjacent to the seals thereof to receive bases.

The object of our invention is to provide' automatically operatingmechanism which may be used as an attachment, for instance,

for a sealing-in machine which, as is well known in the art, is used forsealing mounts into the bulbs ofincandescent lamps and similar articles.Our invention includes means for accurately positioning the bulb for theoperation of the shaping or shoulder forming mechanism. Another featureof our invention is the provision of safety devices to prevent breakage.Various other features and advantages of our invention will appear fromthe following description of a speciesthereof and from the accompanyingdrawings.

In the drawings, Fig. 1 is a perspective View of the machine of ourinvention shownin conjunction with a lamp sealing-in ma chine; Fig. 2 isa plan view of the upper lamp .centralizing jaws; Fig. 3 is aplan viewof the lower centralizing and shoulder forming jaws with theiroperatingmechanism; Fig.

4 is a view of the lamp in the sealing-in machine with the shoulderforming aws in operative relation thereto; Fig. 5 shows an automaticsafety disconnecting device including a plan view of the electricalcontact making apparatus and a partially diagrammatic view of theremaining parts; Fig. 6 is a side elevation of the operating mechanismfor one of the contacts of the disconnecting device; Fig. 7 is a sideelevation of the disconnecting key and. co-acting" parts of this device;Fig. 8 is a perspective view of a lever and related parts used as asupplemental safety I feature; and Fig. 9 is a perspective view of theshoulder forming jaws 1n associated relation.

Our machine is shown as a part of an apparatus which seals the stem ofan incandescent lamp to the bulb. The sealing machine consists of anumber of heads mounted on a carrier which indexestothe right. A

lamp is positioned, the three shoulder forming aws 45,46 and 47 closearound the seal portion of the bulb neck which is in a semimolten stateand form the shoulder. lfhis leaves the lamp with a shoulder similar tothat shown in F ig. 4. l

As shownin Flg, 1, our machine is oper-' ated through the lever 10 whichis driven from a cam on the main cam shaft of the sealing machine andswingsback and forth to give a reciprocating motion to the slide 16..When the slide 16 has reached its forward position, as determined bythe striking of its extension bracket 15 against an adjustable stop pin17 (Fig. 8) which is fastened to the stationary frame 18, springs 12allow lever 10 and bar 11 which is slotted for pin 13 to complete theirfull movement. The main slide l6' carries sub-slide 19 which moves withslide 16 until the pin 20 carried 'thereby strikes against thestationaryi pin 21. Block 22 fastened to sub-slide 19 is attached tosprings 23 which tend to keep it against slide 16. The extent ofmovement of thewarious jaws depends on the difference of movement ofthese slides 16 and 19.

The bulb centering. cup 24, as shown in Figs. 1 and 4, exerts a slightpressure on the top of the bulb causing it to remain in a fixed relationto the bulbholder 25 durin the complete shoulder forming operation. ftersub-slide 19 becomes stationary, the continued movement of slide 16carrying cam 26 lifts roller 27 which indirectly moves arm 28. This armdraws part 29 and with it bushing 30 down, iving spring 31 tensionenough to kee the 'ulb in its proper position. The bul s positionhorizontally is set by the upper centralizing jaws 32 and 33 shown inscrew 40 (Fig. 1) carried by the sub-slide 19.

The lower jaws 42, 43 and 44 used for.

centering are made in three sections and carry the shoulder forming jaws45, 46 and 47, havin overlapping meeting edges as shown in *ig. 9, toprevent the formation of ridges in the glass which might arise from theuse of straight edge jaws. These jaws, as shown in Fig. 3, are forcedtogether by the forward movement of slide 16. One jaw is mounteddirectly on this slide and the otherson two arms 48 and 49. These armspivot at 50 and 51 on the sub-slide 19 and are swung apart at one end bythe cams 52 and 53. The springs 54 and 55 attached to arms 48 and 49 andto sub-slide 19 pull the jaws apart as the slide 16 withdraws.

In-Fig. 1 a head of the sealing machine and the lamp supportedthereby'are shown as they arrive at the shoulder forming position afterhaving been indexed through the sealing-in fires (not-shown) leaving thebulb neck at the seal portion thereof in a semimolten state. During thesealing-in operation the lamp holder has been rotated by belt 56 whichengages pulley 57 so as to allow uniform heating of the seal portion. Itis important that the head be properly positioned for, the shoulderforming operation as it has parts which would otherwise interfere withthose of the shoulder forming machine as they advance and close around-.tion continues until this engagement of roller 58 and lever 59 takesplace. Meanwhile, as hereinafter explained, the mechanism for closingthe shoulder formerand other jaws ceases to operate. Spring 60 attachedto lever 59 allows the roller 58 to pass as the head is indexed to theright after the shoulder forming process has been completed. Lever 61 ispivoted on lever 59 and serves as a latch to keep the roller frombacking away during the shoulder forming operation. When the head is inthe correct position, as indicated by the roller, lever 62 which carriescontact 64 is swung to a position where contact 65 does not touchcontact 64. This contact 65 is mounted on the lever 66 which allows itto be raised or lowered according to the position of the main operatinglever 10. As in Fig. 6, lever 66 is connected to the main lever 10 bythe rod 67 and the slotted bar 68. Slotted bar 68 is so placed that atthe full retarded position of main lever 10 pin 69 will pull on bar 68which indirectly pulls the contact 65 up and out of the plane of thecontact 64. Spring 70 draws lever 66 down at all other positions of themain lever 10. Therefore, if roller 58 and consequently the sealing headare not in thecorrect position, contact 65 will fall on contact 64closing the circuit, allowing solenoid 71 to operate. The solenoid 71acting through parts 72 to 76 draws key 77 out of a keyway in bar 14permitting the bar to slide free in bracket '15. The armature 72 isdrawn upward by the solenoid 71 thus forcing rod 73 to rotate shaft 74by means of the lever 75. As shown in Fig. 7, lever 76 which iskeyed tothe shaft 74 draws key 77 out of the keyway in bar 14. i

This action unlocks the operating arm 10 from the machine giving freemotion to the arm without operation of the machine. The key 77 isreturned to its operating position when solenoid is not operating by thecombined action of the spring 78 and the weight of the moving armature72.

Another safety feature is shown in Fig. 8. If for any reason, theclosing of the forming jaws is not desired, arm 79 is raised, thusstopping bracket 15 before'it has reached its maximum forward positionas designated by the pin 17.

What we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of theUnited States is:

1. A device adapted to shape the, neck of a bulb supported vertically ina movably su ported holder and having a portion thereof in a, plasticcondition which comprises a vertically movable cup adapted to engage thetop of said bulb, a set of pivoted centering jaws adapted to engage theneck of said bulb, a set of pivoted shaping jaws adapted to engage saidplastic neck portion, means for moving said holder and means connectedto said cup and to said jaws for reciprocating said cup and opening andclosing said jaws in proper time relation to the movement of saidholder. 2. In a machine of the class described, a shaping devicecomprising three jaws adapted to fit together to form an annularshoulder, a reciprocatable slide carrying one of said jaws, pivoted armseach carrying one of the other jaws and means actuated by thereciprocation of said slide for causing the said pivoted jaws to closetogether and with said said projecting member and lever are in other jawwhen the latter reaches its operaproper relative positions.

tive position.

, In witness whereof, we have hereunto set 3. In a machine of the classdescribed, the our hands this 9th day of May, 1929.

combination of bulb positioning and vshaping means comprising avertically reciprocatable cup, a set of pivoted centering jaws disposedtherebelow, a set of movable shaping jaws located'below said centeringjaws,

.a horizontally reciprocatable slide and means whereby the reciprocationof said slide causes the said jaws to open and close and said cup to bereciprocated downwardly as said jaws close and upwardly as they areopened.

4. The combination with a machine comprising an indexing carrier havingthereon a rotary holder for a bulb, means for indexhas been stopped withthe said holder in proping said carrier and means for rotating saidholder of a shaping device disposed atone of the index positions of saidholder and comprising a reciprocating slide and shaping jaws carriedthereby, an actuating means for said slide controlled by said indexingmeans, means for rendering said actuating means inoperative unless therotation of said holder or position to allow said'shaping jaws to bereciprocated into operative position.

5." Ina machine of the class described, the combination of a movablecarrier having thereon a bulb holder, means for indexing said carrier, ashaping device mounted adjacent to the path of travel of said holdercomprising a reciprocatable slide, connections comprising an armconnected to said slide whereby said slide is actuated in proper timerelation to the movement of said carrier and means for disconnectingsaid arm and slide except when said holder is in proper positioncomprising members carried by said carrier and shaping devicerespectively, an electromagnetic device, an electric supply circuitcomprising contacts and means controlled by the relative positions ofthe aforc said members for causing said contacts to engage or separate.

6. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a movablecarrier having thereon a bulb holder, means for indexing said carrier, ashaping device mounted ad jacent to the path of travel of said holdercomprising a reciprocatable slide, connections comprising an armconnected to said slide whereby said slide is actuated in proper timerelation to the movement of said carrier and means for disconnectingsaid arm and slide, a bar carried by said slide, a key mounted to moveinto and out of a key-way in said bar, electromagnetic means controllingthe movements of said key, an electric supply circuit comprising makeand break contacts and an operating lever connected to a movablecontact, and a projecting member on said bulb holder adapted to operatesaid lever when the JOHN F. DONOVAN.

FRANK J. MALLOY.

